"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901. p. 336.
CHARLES G. RABY
Among the sons of Scotland who have helped in the development and
government of Whitman county and have won the respect of its people by their
integrity and sterling character stands the man whose life history we shall now
attempt to outline. Faithful in the discharge of every duty, public or private,
which has devolved upon him in the past and prominent in local political
matters, our subject is certainly deserving of a rank among the representative
men of the county and it is with pleasure that we accord him a place in this
work.
Mr. Raby was born in Scotland in 1867, but was reared and educated in the
South of England, having been taken there when only ten months old. He received
his mental discipline in the public schools, and in the South Kensington Science
and Art School, in which he was a student for three years. Upon completing his
education he, though not yet out of his teens, emigrated to the United States,
believing it a land of promise for a young man. After spending a few months in
New York state and St. Louis, Missouri, he came out to Pullman, and obtained
employment in the old Pullman Bank, which subsequently became the First
National. He afterward followed bookkeeping and different kinds of clerical
work for some time, but finally established a real estate, loan and collection
agency in the city. This he has ever since maintained, though his time has been
divided between that and the various municipal offices to which he has been
elected.
In 1895 Mr. Raby was the choice of the people for the post of city clerk,
the duties of which office continued to be discharged by him for the ensuing
three terms. He then became city treasurer and water commissioner, holding this
position two terms. In the recent political campaign he was the successful
candidate of the Democratic party for the county auditorship, which position he
now holds.
In fraternal circles our subject is quite active and prominent, his
membership being maintained in the K. of P., the A. O. U. W., the Foresters and
the Red Men. In 1893 his marriage to Miss Clara Drinkwater, a member of a
pioneer family of California, was solemnized in Pullman, and in his family is
one child, Walter Compton.
*******************
Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.